Acts 15:6–21

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL

⁶The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. ⁷After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,^B that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. ⁸And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.^{d 9}He made no distinction between us and them,^e cleansing their hearts by faith.^{f 10}Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks^g that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace^h of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”

¹²The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.^{i 13}After they stopped speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴Simeon^A has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.^{j 15}And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

¹⁶After these things I will return

and rebuild David’s fallen tent.

I will rebuild its ruins

and set it up again,

¹⁷so that the rest of humanity

may seek the Lord—

even all the Gentiles

who are called by my name—

declares the Lord

who makes these things ¹⁸known from long ago.^BCk

¹⁹Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,^l from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. ²¹For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”^m